New Zealand launched a search Wednesday for hundreds of Chinese students who arrived in the country on fraudulently-obtained visas, immigration officials said.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) said an audit found almost 300 visas were issued by its Beijing office on the basis of fraudulent information and 231 of the students who had received them remained in the country.

A member of staff working at the Chinese embassy in New Zealand told the Global Times that they are aware of the news, but the INZ hasn't come to them as yet.

"We believe the New Zealand side will solve the issue within the framework of its legal system," she said. "It's also important for Chinese students to abide by local laws and regulations."

A case-by-case investigation is looking into the fraudulent applications.

Acting Immigration Minister Kate Wilkinson said it appeared two Chinese immigration agents, who submitted the applications on students' behalf, were behind the fraud. If the fraud is confirmed these students could face deportation, according to Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce.

A Chinese woman living in Auckland, who asked not to be identified, told the Global Times that this is the first case involving such a large number of Chinese students in a long time. "It's commonly known among the Chinese community here that Chinese students sometimes come with fake transcripts. Many agencies do this for students who want to go abroad," she said.

Meng Huixuan, who went to New Zealand to study in high school in 2002 and came back to China recently, said the documents required at that time were simple. But as more and more students have been choosing this country of immigrants, applying for its visa has become more complex and difficult, resulting in agencies faking documents.

According to official data, around 100,000 foreign students a year enroll to study in New Zealand, with China being the largest source, accounting for about a quarter of the total.

In 2010, an Auckland university rejected about 50 foreign students, including Chinese, after an investigation found their business diplomas from local schools had been faked.

Agencies contributed to this story